IT maintenance contracts for offices and small businesses
An IT maintenance contract is a written agreement that sets out what is looked after, how problems are reported and what it costs. We agree them with offices and small businesses in London, Brighton and Hove and the South East, and this page explains what a good one contains.
The service
An agreement you can read and hold us to
The aim of a maintenance contract is to replace uncertainty with a document. You know which systems are covered, how to report a fault and what happens next. We know what we are responsible for and when.
It differs from managed IT services, which is the wider arrangement of ongoing management and planned upkeep. A contract can also provide for proactive IT maintenance, meaning planned work done before something fails. A contract can be as narrow as one network or as broad as a whole office, and the two can be combined. Network equipment is covered in network maintenance, and everyday help in IT support. Fixing a failed server is described separately in server maintenance and repair.
A contract is only as good as its detail, so the next section lists what to look for in any provider's wording, including ours.
What to look for
What an agreement should set out
Scope
Which systems, sites and users are covered, and which are not.
Reporting a problem
How to raise a fault, who receives it and how it is tracked.
Response and resolution
The IT support service levels that apply, and what happens if they are missed.
Checks and reports
What is checked, how often and what you are told.
Exclusions and extras
What falls outside the agreement and how it is charged.
Length and notice
How long it runs and how either side can end it.
Our engineers hold
Qualifications held by our engineers
Between them, our engineers hold Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and fibre optic certifications, plus CSCS and ECS cards.
- CompTIA A+IT support
- CompTIA Network+Networking
- CompTIA Security+IT security
- Microsoft CertifiedMicrosoft technologies
Held by individual engineers. Not every engineer holds every qualification.
Tell us about your site and what you need.
People and devices
The number of users and devices covered.
Sites
How many locations and how complex the network is.
Scope and hours
Which services and which times the contract includes.
Equipment condition
The age and state of what is being maintained.
How it works
How a contract is put together
Review
We look at your equipment, your network and how you work.
Agree scope
What is covered and what is not, in plain language.
Put it in writing
A written agreement and quote for you to read.
Review it
Regular checks that the cover still fits the business.
Areas
Contracts in London and Brighton and Hove
FAQ
Common questions
Tell us about your site and what you need.
Get a QuoteIs an IT maintenance contract the same as managed IT?
They overlap. A contract is the written agreement, sometimes called an IT maintenance agreement. Managed IT is a service model, with ongoing management and planned upkeep, that is normally delivered under one. A contract can also cover something narrower, such as a network. An IT support contract can likewise be limited to everyday help for users.
What is an IT service level agreement?
The part of a contract that sets expectations for response times, resolution times and overall service delivery, so you can judge how the provider is performing. An IT maintenance SLA applies the same idea to the equipment a contract covers. An IT support SLA does so for everyday requests, and a managed services SLA does so where the work is under a managed IT arrangement. The levels themselves are whatever you and the provider agree in the contract.
How long should a contract run?
That is a matter for agreement between you and the provider, whether it is an annual IT maintenance contract or a different term. Whatever the length, check the notice period, and what happens to your documentation and passwords if you leave.
Does a contract include replacement equipment?
Not necessarily. Many cover labour and support but not the cost of new hardware, so check whether replacements are included or charged separately.
Does a small office need one?
It depends on how much the business relies on its IT and its network. If an hour of downtime is costly, a written agreement about who responds and how is worth having.
Related services
Related services
Managed IT Services
Ongoing IT management and maintenance for your business.
Server Maintenance and Repair
Fault finding, maintenance and repair for business servers.
Network Maintenance
Regular checks and upkeep for your network.
Related guide
Related guide
What does an IT maintenance contract include?
Scope, response times, security tasks, reporting and exit terms.
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Talk to us about a contract
Tell us about your site and what you need.
